'Thudakkam' Day 2 Box Office: Vismaya Mohanlal's debut marks director Jude Anthany Joseph's highest opening

"Thudakkam", starring Vismaya Mohanlal in her acting debut, continued its strong run at the box office on Day 2. The film collected a net ₹3.50 crore in India from 1,138 shows, marking a 37.3% increase over its Day 1 net collection of ₹2.55 crore, as per tracking portal Sacnilk.

With this growth, "Thudakkam" has reached a total India gross collection of ₹7.02 crore, while its India net stands at ₹6.05 crore after two days. The film has also performed strongly overseas, collecting ₹4.50 crore gross on Day 2. Its total overseas gross has now reached ₹8.40 crore.

As a result, "Thudakkam" has recorded a worldwide gross of ₹15.42 crore in just two days, giving the film an impressive start at the global box office.

The film's opening has also drawn comparisons with the debut of Vismaya's brother, Pranav Mohanlal. His 2018 film "Aadhi" was considered a major success and became the highest-opening film for a newcomer at the time.

"Thudakkam" has now surpassed "Aadhi" in terms of Day 1 India net collection. The new film opened with ₹2.55 crore net in India, compared with ₹2.16 crore for "Aadhi". Its Day 1 India gross was ₹2.78 crore, slightly higher than ₹2.77 crore for "Aadhi".

However, the comparison also reflects the changing Malayalam film market. Since 2018, the reach of Malayalam cinema has expanded significantly, particularly in the Gulf, Europe and North America. Higher ticket prices, more screens and a larger overseas audience have also contributed to bigger opening-day numbers.

The involvement of director Jude Anthany Joseph has added another factor to the film's strong opening. His previous success with "2018" helped create confidence and anticipation around "Thudakkam". Interestingly, "Thudakkam" Day 1 gross of ₹2.78 crore was significantly higher than "2018" opening-day gross of ₹1.85 crore. The same goes for the Day 2 gross: "Thudakkam" collected around ₹3.50 crore whereas "2018" took in ₹3.10 crore.

The film has also benefited from strong pre-release attention surrounding Vismaya's debut and the presence of Mohanlal, whose connection to the project has added to audience interest.

For comparison, "Ohm Shanthi Oshaana" took four days to reach around ₹2.7 crore in domestic gross back in 2014. The modern theatrical market, with higher ticket prices and wider screen availability, has made it possible for films like "Thudakkam" to reach such figures much faster.

The biggest question now is whether "Thudakkam" can maintain this momentum. Its excellent opening provides a strong foundation, but its long-term box-office performance will depend on audience response and word of mouth in the coming days.